We always talk about creating content and sharing it with the world. But what if I told you can also earn from doing just that? Here’s a short blog post on 6 ways you can make money from the content you’re creating.
Before we dive in, know that in a world full of so much information, before you go off monetizing your content (or anything, really), you should have built an audience first. I say this because I’ve read about bloggers or content creators who have tried most of these but failed and the reason is because they were too quick in wanting to earn money that they ended up talking and selling to no one. It takes time. Anyways, let’s get to it!
1. Affiliate programs
I’ve been reading on how people are now monetizing their blogs and channels through affiliate programs and I genuinely believe it works. If you’ve gained a large following or viewership, you might want to consider using affiliate programs. How this usually goes – companies give you a code or discount voucher, you share it with your followers / readers and you earn a certain amount of commission when they use your code or voucher when purchasing the products and services.
Be warned though – don’t ever hard sell AND don’t sell things you haven’t used because that could definitely backfire. I’ve seen it happen. People don’t earn when they’ve hard sell – aka being pushy and trying too hard to get people to buy whatever – to their audience. And nobody likes being there just to be sold to. Keep giving value and share things you really recommend.
Cool, let’s jump in affiliate programs:
- Affiliate Marketing For Beginners
- Step By Step Affiliate Marketing For Beginners
- The 8 Best Affiliate Programs To Earn Passive Income And Make Money Blogging
- Affiliate Programs I got approved for and rejected from as a new Blogger
2. Collaborate with brands
This one is a personal favorite and something I plan to do later this year. Although I’ve been collaborating with brands since #TeamMorena days, I’m looking forward to a more valuable collaboration wherein both parties can co-create content. And in this digital age, it’s possible – heck, it’s easier.
Create a strong compelling proposal that will allow you and your favorite brand to create something together. May it be a guesting, an email series, vlog series, or a master package of blog posts, get creative with it. This is also a good way to reach more people since you’ll be exposed to their audience as well.
Now go and write that proposal:
- 3 simple ideas you can pitch to brands
- How to pitch a collaboration with brands
- Advice for Bloggers: How to Pitch and Land Brand Partnerships
- How to Write a Killer Proposal
3. Become a guest writer
If you love writing, you can get paid for it. Whether offline or online, a lot of companies now accept contributors who are paid per article. Some of them even ask that you only produce at least one article a month, but if you can produce more, the better, right? Some perks of becoming a guest writer (other than being paid for it) is that you get to have a “by line” in other websites. If they like your article, their definitely going to check out your other social platforms such as your page, blog, etc.
To get started, make sure your blog is active and relevant. People won’t pay you for writing articles that well.. have no value to their audience. I also highly recommend you choose websites or companies that are related to your niche. Also, have your portfolio ready in case they need to see some work (and I’m sure they will!)
Time to guest blog, I guess:
- Guest blogging: Everything you need to know
- How to guest post and build major clout
- The ultimate guest posting strategy: How to do it like an expert even if you are not
- Pitching perfect: How to pitch your writing to publications
4. Create digital products and sell them
Another favorite on my list is digital products! If you’re the creative one, you can definitely write and create ebooks, worksheets, templates, etc. I know this works because I’ve personally invested in some of these myself. But of course, it’s not all that easy, you first have to know who your target audience is and what specific problem theyβre struggling with in order to create a digital product they’re going to buy. That and setting up the sales page, coming up with the right content strategy for the pre-sell, and everything else in between.
And if you’re opting for something simpler, you can start by creating digital products and put them up on big websites like Etsy and CreativeMarket.
Let’s get digital (digital):
- How to successfully launch your first digital product
- How to sell digital downloads on Etsy
- 10 Best digital products to sell in 2019
- Ultimate list of 120+ digital products you can sell passively online (for the obsessed *wink*)
5. Build an online course
If education is your thing, you might like to try building an online course. Online courses are a lot of work, but once it’s up and running, the returns are worth it. It’s a great way to earn money serving your target audience with your knowledge!
And since everyone has different teaching styles, online courses can be fun to work on. You can definitely use video, graphics, audio, and text in form of worksheets, projects, templates, etc. – depending on the subject and your style. Don’t forget to test it out with a few friends (who are part of the target market) and get that feedback before launching it!
Yes, education is my thing:
- How to create your online course in 10 essential steps
- A step by step guide to creating profitable online courses
- Create an online course your students will love
- 3 ways to create and sell your online course
6. Sell ads space
One of the oldest tricks in the book is to sell ads space in your blog or channel. If you love to keep on creating content at your own platform and it is getting enough views, you can also charge brands or companies who’d like a space in your platform. It sounds tricky at first but the good news is that it’s much easier than most people think.
Most platforms nowadays allow you to apply for it. From there, they will assess if you can run ads on your digital space – requirements for this (I THINK) are subscribers, views, etc. You could also do this manually, although it might be a bit more challenging. The harder part though would be having to drive traffic to be sure that those ads are seen / heard, or else, you’re earning nothing.
I’m listening:
- How to sell ADS on your blog
- 6 ways to make money with advertising on your blog and the websites to help you
- 5 working tips to find direct advertisement for your blog
- How much to charge for ad space on your blog (manual method)
Thanks to the digital age, these are not the only ways you can make money from the content you make! Feel free to get creative and charge people for your quality work. If you have any more suggestions on how to do so, I would love to learn about it. Let me know in the comments below! π Ciao!
good article, I had good success with a few of my blogs backlinking to my shopify stores but if you dont sell products than affiliate marketing is number 1 way to monetize your site…
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I agree! Couldn’t have said it better than myself. π
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This is an awesome article, and I really enjoyed reading it! Thanks for sharing. π https://themulticulturalmarketer.com
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Hey, glad you enjoyed it! You have an awesome website too (and I just followed) π
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Thank you so much for mentioning my Affiliate Marketing For Beginners post at HerPaperRoute.com – Big love to you! Also, your site is fabulous, I love your style! β€
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Thank you so much for mentioning my post ‘Affiliate Marketing For Beginners’ at HerPaperRoute.com. Big love to you! And your site is fabulous, love your style!
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Thank you so much, Chelsea! Really loved your post and it was really helpful π
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Great post! I’m struggling with figuring out the best way to do this at the moment! I think the best tip you make in this article is: have an audience. Without people on your site, there’s no-one to sell to. I jumped the gun a bit early with amazon associates and will likely loose my store due to inactivity because I missed that important point! Thanks for your insights!
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